Area News
First U.S. screwworm case confirmed in South Texas
By Berenice Garcia and Ayden Runnels, The Texas Tribune June 3, 2026 McALLEN — The U.S. Department of Agriculture on Wednesday confirmed the country’s first case of New World screwworm — the parasitic fly poised to harm the state’s $15 billion cattle industry — in South Texas. The USDA tested a sample from La Pryor…
Read MoreDemocrat Gina Hinojosa launches first ad of Texas governor’s race, to be streamed during NBA Finals
By Kayla Guo, The Texas Tribune June 3, 2026 State Rep. Gina Hinojosa, the Democratic nominee for Texas governor, is launching her first ad buy of the general election with a digital spot to be aired during the NBA Finals between the San Antonio Spurs and the New York Knicks. The initial spend comes in…
Read MoreVideo: Why Oil Field Wastewater Is Bubbling Up All Over This State
Screwworms are closer than ever to Texas, but not 1 mile away as lawmaker claims
By Jayme Lozano Carver and Renzo Downey, The Texas Tribune June 2, 2026 LUBBOCK — Parasitic, flesh-eating flies are 25 miles away from the U.S.-Mexico border, U.S. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins said Tuesday, refuting a claim by a Texas state lawmaker that the insects were just one mile away. State Rep. Don McLaughlin, a Uvalde…
Read MoreAsk Rusty – Why Can’t I get a Lump Sum Death Benefit from my Wife?
Dear Rusty: My wife passed away in September 2025 at age 64. We had been married for 43 years and started collecting benefits when I turned 62 and she was 63. She did not have enough work credits to claim her own SS and thus collected on my record. SSA told me that I was not…
Read MoreTexas Secretary of State Jane Nelson stepping down
By Natalia Contreras, The Texas Tribune June 2, 2026 This coverage is made possible through Votebeat, a nonpartisan news organization covering local election administration and voting access. Sign up for Votebeat Texas’ free newsletters here. Texas Secretary of State Jane Nelson announced Tuesday she will resign effective July 17, capping off three and a half…
Read MoreMaking America Safe Again: DOJ to Award $300 Million to Model Cities Dedicated to Restoring Law and Order
The Model Cities Initiative will demonstrate the effectiveness of the Make America Safe Again Mission by taking a whole-of-city approach to reduce crime and restore law and order. WASHINGTON — The Justice Department today announced the Model Cities Initiative (MCI), a whole-of-city approach directing nearly $300 million in federal funding to transform public safety in…
Read MoreTexas 2036: Three trends reshaping Texas: What the demographic data tells us
Texas reached 31.7 million residents in July 2025, adding more than 391,000 people in a single year. We rank in the top four states for percent growth and lead the nation in numeric change. By headline measures, Texas is still very much a growth story. Yet, the shape of that growth is changing. Read more:…
Read MoreOp-Ed: If This Is Winning, America Can’t Afford Much More of It
John Whitehead’s Commentary By John & Nisha Whitehead June 03, 2026 “We’re gonna win so much, you may even get tired of winning. And you’ll say, ‘Please, please. It’s too much winning. We can’t take it anymore. Mr. President, it’s too much.’”—Donald Trump Donald Trump promised Americans they would get tired of winning. If this…
Read MoreAnimal welfare rules might be rolled back by Congress
By Kevin Hardy, Stateline June 3, 2026 Congress is looking to roll back state animal welfare laws as it wrangles over reauthorization of the federal farm bill. The farm bill, which Congress generally reworks every five years, includes money and federal rules for food assistance programs, farm subsidies, and other ag-related programs. A pending version…
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